We may be embarking on the golden age of communications, as both wireless and wireline advances, coupled with consumer usage, are changing the way in which we share information and entertain ourselves. According to a recently published survey by market research firm Wireless Intelligence, 2008 marks the fist time that 50% of us have a mobile phone of some kind.* Plus, it’s been reported that 21% of people worldwide are now using the Internet. While the latter figure may seem low, if you concentrate on only North America that figure jumps up to 73%.

It is expected that these figures will only rise in the years ahead. Estimates put mobile phone users to be 70% of our population by 2010, while Internet usage has risen by an astounding 290% this decade alone. Looking at the Internet numbers closer, usage has risen 188% in the Americas (120% in North America, 546% in South America, 762% in Central America, and 978% in the Caribbean) since 2000. Presently, North America represents the third largest group of Internet users in the world with 246,402,574 people.

Much of this growth can be attributed to advances in technology. The continued development and rollout of 3.5G and 4G wireless technologies, as well as the deployment of faster optical networks, are helping telecommunications become a huge part of our professional and social lives.

This issue of Anritsu News focuses on many of the trends and technologies that have helped make mobile devices and the Internet integral parts of how we live. It also outlines how Anritsu’s commitment to developing products for Next Generation Networks (NGNs) is ensuring the successful deployment and operation of both wireless and wireline networks. For more on all these technologies and Anritsu’s family of products, visit, www.us.anritsu.com.